Brands
Butt out and breathe easy as Big FM helps smokers take a big step
MUMBAI: Smoking out the habit, one laugh, dance, and Zumba session at a time Big FM’s third season of Sutta Chhod De Na Yaar wrapped up with a breath of fresh air. With a mission as clear as its lungs aim to be, the award-winning anti-tobacco campaign returned this year with a therapeutic twist Quitsvilla, a wellness retreat designed to help smokers kick the butt, quite literally. Hosted at The Fern Shelter Resort in Palghar, and powered by Dewon Electric, the three-day immersive was part support group, part spa day, and all heart.
Led by popular RJs like RJ Vrajesh, RJ Rani, RJ Abhilash, and RJ Dilip, the retreat was no boring rehab. It featured sound therapy by Sarita Pataodia, dance movement therapy by Ang Tarang’s Shruti duo, laughter yoga by the ever-joyful Kishore Kuvavala, motivational illusions by Mangesh Desai, and a whole lot of rhythm, sweat and soul. The Zumba sessions by celebrity coach Aishwarya were as energetic as the stories shared, and the message was crystal clear: quitting smoking doesn’t have to be a lonely grind, it can be joyful and healing too.
The retreat was just the tip of the iceberg. The campaign extended into the digital realm with a gripping podcast hosted by RJ Sahil and RJ Dilip. The series featured first-person journeys of those who had successfully stubbed out their addictions, as well as expert insights on CBT, NLP, and habit formation from voices like Ashdin Doctor (The Habit Coach) and Rajyogi BK Nikunj.
Bollywood lent its lungs too, with stars like Tusshar Kapoor, Emraan Hashmi, Shankar Mahadevan, Sulaiman Merchant, and Papon urging fans to quit through messages across platforms. The campaign’s viral jingle, quirky reels, and heartfelt storytelling ensured that the message didn’t just travel, it stuck.
And it wasn’t all talk either. The campaign logged hundreds of pledges, saw a visible shift in participant behaviour, and strengthened BIG FM’s mission of sparking real change through real stories.
“This isn’t just about saying no to a cigarette,” said Big FM COO, Sunil Kumaran. “It’s about saying yes to life, to resilience, and to transformation. Sutta Chhod De Na Yaar Season 3 gave people the tools and the belief to make that change.”
With a soulful mix of science, storytelling and support, BIG FM’s campaign has evolved from a public service message into a full-blown movement, one breath at a time.
Brands
Faber-Castell India appoints Sunaina Haldar as director – marketing
With stints at Tata, SleepyCat and ADF Foods under her belt, Haldar is primed to redraw Faber-Castell’s brand story
MUMBAI: Faber-Castell India has poached Sunaina Haldar from ADF Foods, appointing her director – marketing as the German stationery brand looks to muscle up in a category that is rapidly reinventing itself around creativity and self-expression.
Haldar hit the ground running. “My first couple of weeks have been incredibly energising, understanding consumers, visiting markets, engaging with retailers and immersing myself into the world of Faber-Castell Group,” she said.
She arrives with considerable firepower. At ADF Foods, Haldar ran marketing across India and international markets for a portfolio spanning Ashoka, Aeroplane, Camel and ADF Soul. Before that, she was vice-president – marketing at direct-to-consumer mattress brand SleepyCat, where she helmed brand, content and performance marketing. Her résumé also includes a stint leading marketing, new product development and CRM for Tata SmartFoodz at Tata Consumer Products, no small proving ground.
Between corporate roles, Haldar also operated as a fractional CMO for early-stage startups, building marketing strategy and operational structures from scratch, a signal that she knows how to move fast with limited resources.
With 18 years straddling FMCG, D2C and the startup world, Haldar now takes the reins at a brand that has long owned the classroom but is clearly hungry for the living room. In a stationery market where the pencil has become a lifestyle statement, Faber-Castell has picked someone who knows exactly how to sell that story.
